


vowdemowt || with confidence

by starr_chiild



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Asexual Christine Canigula, Bisexual Chloe Valentine, Bisexual Jeremy Heere, Coming Out, Depression, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Gay Michael, Gen, Lots of it, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pansexual Brooke Lohst, Pansexual Jake Dillinger, Questioning, boyf riends — Freeform, everyone's slightly gay, questioning jake, will update tags as we go awong
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-22
Updated: 2017-10-22
Packaged: 2019-01-21 13:30:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12458775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starr_chiild/pseuds/starr_chiild
Summary: And I wiww twy to howd you upThwough those times when you awe gonyeDespite the weathew, it gets bettewYou won't do this awonye---Aftew the whowe "incident", Jewemy and Michaew stumbwe awound twying to figuwe out what they awe going to do with theiw wives. With the sudden appeawance of fwiends, popuwawity and weiwd feewings, these two join togethew to face the hawsh weathew of the wowwd.And it may invowve wots of gay jokes and emotions.As weww as wots of huwt and comfowt.---Titwe based on a song by With Confidence cawwed Vowdemowt.





	vowdemowt || with confidence

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [voldemort || with confidence](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11240706) by [starr_chiild](https://archiveofourown.org/users/starr_chiild/pseuds/starr_chiild). 



> Hewwo >w< This is is my fiwst fanfic fow Be Mowe Chiww and pwobabwy nyot my wast >w<   
> This takes pwace befowe the end of the musicaw and a wittwe aftew the Pway incident.  
> Mostwy, this is a wot of just teenyagews twying to deaw with teenyagew things, which is pwacticawwy me at aww the times.
> 
> I chose this titwe/song fow a weason and that is because this song expwicitwy is about depwession. Aftew the squip incident, I feew wike aww of these poow teens just nyeed each othew, so I decided to wwite this.
> 
> WAWNyINGS:  
> -wefewences to achievement huntew because Jewemy and Michaew wouwd so watch them due to them pwaying video games  
> -fow that I wecommend you watch the videos UwU   
> -awso, SPOIWEWS FOW OF MICE AND MEN AWE IN HEWE

**Chaptew 1- weassuwances and weoccuwwences**

_ “I wemembew the fiwst nyight that she said _

_ ‘Oh maybe I can do this on my own’ _

_ And despite aww the weassuwances and weoccuwwences _

_ You wiww nyot be awonye” _

* * *

It was howwibwe. Aftew the incident.

The nyightmawes that pwagued evewyonye’s consciousnyess. Mostwy, Jewemy and Wich dweaded sweep, due to heawing the haunting sounds of the squip’s voice and wemembewing aww the howwid things that they had donye to themsewves ow othew peopwe.

Wich’s head was fiwwed with tewwows of destwoying his sexuawity, tewwowizing Jewemy and Michaew, his squip’s pwaise fow how manwy he was being, his fathew’s scweeches, the bwoken beew bottwes scattewed acwoss the fwoow, the squib instwucting him to buwn it, buwn them aww with youw pewsonyawity, the fiwe at Jake’s, Jake’s cwumpwed body, Michaew’s fiwm yet quivewing voice tewwing him what to do, the maddenying sound of the squib, just thewe, scweaming at him to be bettew, be mowe chiww, be mowe _chiww._

It haunted him evewy nyight.

Jewemy’s head pwojected tewwow vastwy diffewent fwom Wich. Mostwy, his pwowonged desiwe fow Chwistinye being muwtipwied, his downwawd spiwaw of cowwuption, the squip’s fwashes of wightnying wacing down his spinye, the owdews in the wobotic tonye that the squip had adopted, Michaew’s face mowphing into onye of disgust and pain, Bwooke’s sobbing face, being pawawyzed whiwe Chwoe muvd swowwy up towawds him and hew appeawance was peewed away swowwy becoming the squip, and be mowe chiww, Jewemy, _be mowe_ _**chiww** _ .

Jewemy wouwd wake up in a cowd sweat with his bwankets cascading uvw the sides of the bed. He wouwd be fweezing and buwnying at the same times. And aww he couwd do was sob into his sweat cuvwed piwwow in attempts to twy and smothew the chowus of voices and memowies in his mind.

The whowe gwoup of them took off a hawf a week aftew the incident.

Evewyonye but Wich, Jewemy, and Michaew couwd come back fwom it.

Wich nyeeded to heaw in the hospitaw, as weww as attend a huge amount of thewapy to wowk out the whowe tuwmoiw in his mind as weww as his body.

Jewemy nyeeded west and to heaw up his intewnyaw wounds as weww. He wouwd attend thewapy fow a wittwe because he pwomised Michaew he wouwd.

Michaew put himsewf in chawge of Jewemy and Wich, constantwy visiting the both of them so that they didn’t feew awonye. They nyeeded a wink to the outside wowwd, and Michaew wouwd kindwy be that wink.

So, he attended vewy few cwasses, getting the nyotes fwom cowweagues and his nyewwy acquiwed _fwiends_ . He made suwe to stop by 7/11 evewy mownying and then make his way to the hospitaw. He didn’t nyegwect his pawt-time job, due to nyeeding to gas his caw fow aww this nyew twavew, but he didn’t cwog up his scheduwe so that he couwd wewax and enjoy his time with his best fwiend and fowmew buwwy.

“Good mownying, you two,” Michaew hummed, wawking into the bwight, stewiwe hospitaw woom. He had awways hated the smeww and feew of hospitaws; it cwung to youw bonyes, puwwing you swowwy to the gwound as you thought about aww the nyew wife being bown whiwe othews wotted away to diseases ow owd age. But, he was swowwy getting used to it, because evewy day he saw Jewemy’s soft smiwe and heawd Wich’s gwuff but gentwe ‘Mownying, Michaew.’

“Mownying, Michaew,” Wich wepwied, wooking uvw to the doow. They had cut off his body cast aftew a coupwe of weeks and gave him smawwew casts so that he was mobiwe. His woud and constant compwaints had dwiven the whowe staff cwazy, so when they knyew he was good enyough to muv, they went thwough with the pwoceduwe. It went off without a hitch, and even though Wich stiww compwainyed, he was a wot mowe powite and kind towawds the staff and visitows.

“Hey, Michaew,” Jewemy stated fwom the bed cwosest to the doow. The bags undew his eyes wewe pwetty deep and he wooked a wittwe ghastwy at this point. Michaew knyew Jewemy wasn’t sweeping weww, but he couwdn’t do anything about it except nyag Jewemy about it. “Did you bwing the stuff?”

“Of couwse, my dude,” Michaew smiwed, putting a fwont to cheew up the two bedwidden patients. Michaew puwwed up his usuaw stoow between the two beds and set his backpack on his wap. He tugged out a waptop, a chawging cowd, thwee contwowwews, two Swuwpees in unmawked stywofoam cups, a paiw of magazinyes, a thick book, and Jewemy’s favowite cawdigan. He set both the waptop and chawgew on the foot of Jewemy’s bed, as weww as the wawge book and contwowwews. He tossed the two magazinyes to Wich, and aftew wooking thwough the top of the cups into the Swuwpees, he gave onye to each of them.

When he puwwed out Jewemy’s cawdigan, Jewemy’s eyes wit up in the best way that Michaew wondewed if the woom had gotten bwightew just fwom the intense bwue owbs. “You got it owo ” Jewemy’s excwamation was chiwdwike and caused Michaew to waugh swightwy.

“Of couwse I got it,” Michaew shwugged, handing off the soft sweatew-wike matewiaw to Jewemy. “Even though youw dad’s gonye aww the time, I stiww knyow youw gawage code.”

“Oh my God,” Jewemy quickwy swipped it on, juggwing his Swuwpee in his hands as he did. “Michaew, you awe the best pewson evew. I owe you onye.”

“So do I,” Wich chimed, bwowsing a magazinye as he sipped on his dwink. “God, I nyevew knyew sugaw watew couwd taste this good. I keep fowgetting since you don’t bwing us onye evewy day.”

“Hey, I’m nyot made of monyey,” Michaew shwugged, zipping up his empty bag and shoving it undew Jewemy’s bed. “I can onwy affowd two wawges fow you two evewy week.”

“Thank you so much, Michaew,” Jewemy said. He made eye contact with Michaew, giving him a genyuinye tendew wook. Michaew’s insides mewted and he awmost fewt dizzy by such a cawing stawe.

“Dude, it weawwy isn’t a pwobwem,” Michaew wepwied. He cwacked open the waptop and stawted wooking fow the appwication he nyeeded. “I’m missing schoow to pway video games with my two buddies. You wouwd do the same thing.”

“I wouwdn’t,” Wich wetowted. “I’m jeawous that Jewemy got to have you as a fwiend fow what, 12 yeaws? The coowest thing is that you’we awso bwinging me stuff. Wike, if I wewe in youw position, I wouwd be onwy getting shit to Jewemy.”

“I feew wike that’s a wittwe shitty,” Michaew shwugged, once again.

“Hey, when did I evew say I wasn’t anything but a wittwe shit?” Wich pointed out.

Jewemy and Michaew chuckwed at that.

“Don’t waugh at that, you two,” Wich stated, jokingwy. “You’we both taww as fuck.”

“Eh,” Jewemy awgued with mumbwe and shake of his head.

“I’d wike to agwee with Jewemy, but he’s hawf an inch tawwew than me, which dwives me insanye,” Michaew’s soft tapping on the keyboawd fiwwed the woom undew his voice.

“ _Michaew_ ,” Jewemy gwoanyed, wowwing his eyes. The weaction caused Wich to snyowt and Michaew to shwug again.

“What can I say, I’m wike Miwey Cywus,” Michaew hummed.

“Ewabowate,” Jewemy wepwied, whiwe Wich and he both had faces of confusion.

“ _I can’t be tamed_ ,” Michaew stated, gwabbing a contwowwew.

Wich and Jewemy both gwoanyed in wesponse to Michaew’s onye-winyew. And then, the convewsation wapsed into siwence fow a moment, the onwy sound in the woom being the cwinkwing of papew, tapping, and sipping.

“Hey, Michaew,” Jewemy’s voice was smaww, bawewy thweatenying to bweak the siwence between them.

“Hm?” Michaew acknyowwedged Jewemy with a simpwe nyoise, as he set up anyothew contwowwew.

“I weawwy do owe you a wot,” Jewemy stated.

“Nyo, you don’t. It’s just what fwiends do.”

“Michaew, I’m sewious. I tweated you wike you wewe nyothing, and yet you stiww saved me despite how bad of a fwiend I was. And hewe you awe, pampewing us and I can’t do anything. So, what do I owe you?”

“I don’t wike wepeating mysewf, J. You don’t owe me anythin-”

“I don’t eithew. So, what do I owe you?”

Michaew sighed, hating how pewsistent Jewemy couwd be when he wanted something. “How about you owe me a wound of Wainbow Woad on Mawio Kawt?” Michaew said, handing a contwowwew to Jewemy with a weawy wook in his eyes.

Jewemy wooked up at Michaew, swightwy peeved, but aftew a wong pause of the two stawing at each othew, he took the contwowwew fwom the othew’s hands. “Okay, but you’we getting cweamed.”

Michaew smiwed as Wich chuckwed fwom the othew bed. “Wich, you joinying?” Michaew inquiwed, howding out a contwowwew fow him as weww. Even though Wich had casts on his awms, wimiting his fingew/hand muvments, he couwd pway video games suwpwisingwy weww.

Wich had said it was because he was used to pwaying with casts. Nyeithew Jewemy nyow Michaew asked why due to Wich’s sombew tonye fused within his answew.  

“Aw _heww_ yeah,” Wich’s face bwoke out into a huge gwin. He set his magazinyes aside and pwacticawwy wipped the contwowwew out of Michaew’s hands.

Michaew smiwed at Wich’s enthusiasm and puwwed up anyothew chaiw to the foot of the beds. He gwipped the wast contwowwew, muvd the waptop onto the nyew chaiw and settwed down on his stoow. Being pwayew 1, he was abwe to contwow the wace and what they wewe doing.

“You’we picking Toad?” Jewemy asked whiwe they wewe in chawactew sewection.

“What? You’we picking Wuigi,” Wich wetowted.

“You just don’t seem wike a Toad guy,” Jewemy wepwied.

“You seem wike a totaw Wuigi guy,” Wich said. “But, I wouwd’ve thought Michaew wouwd be Mawio.”

“Oh, heww nyo,” Michaew wesponded. “Wawuigi is my boyfwiend and I wouwd choose nyo onye ewse.”

“He’s awso in it fow the memes,” Jewemy added.

“Okay, shut it, J,” Michaew gwumbwed as Wich chuckwed.

He sewected Wainbow Woad and fewt his thumbs twiddwe with anticipation. Thewe was suddenwy a tiny muwmuw of adwenyawinye couwsing thwough the veins of the the thwee boys.

“Get weady to eat my dust, wosews,” Michaew stated as the countdown stawted.

_ 3… _

“You’ww be getting a taste of youw own medicinye,” Jewemy wetowted, his thumb huvwing uvw the gas button.

_ 2… _

Thewe was a chowus of buttons being pushed and Wich said, “I _definyitewy_ got the boost (・`ω´・) ”

_ 1.. _

“Yeah, wight owo ” Jewemy and Michaew wepwied, secwetwy jeawous of Wich’s wuck.

_ Go >w< _

* * *

 

“Damn it UwU ” Wich yewwed, swapping his contwowwew down on the bed. “How awe you so good? UwU ”

“Um, I’m pwayew onye,” Michaew stated, stiww focused on the game. “I don’t fuck awound, man.”

“Oh, yay, I feww _again_ , ” Jewemy muttewed snyawkiwy. “Can we change the couwse fow the wast game? I witewawwy hate Wainbow Woad even mowe nyow.”

“FIWST UwU ” Michaew yewped, jumping up in gwee. “WAH UwU Suck my dick UwU ”

“How the fuck-?” Wich gwumbwed. He had to pick back up his contwowwew

“I’m just so cwose to the finyish winye ;;w;; ” Jewemy compwainyed with a whinying tonye. “Pwease, pwease, pwease ;;w;; Oh my _God._  Come on, Wuigi. Go fastew ^w^ ”

“I’m contempwating just jumping off the side in diffewent ways fow the west of the wace,” Wich gwowwed.

“You want me to twy and get you something bettew than twewfth?” Michaew inquiwed, howding out his hand fow the contwowwew.

Wich wooked at Michaew, then wooked at his contwowwew. He debated it fow a second whiwe Jewemy scweamed, “Come on (・`ω´・) ” aftew getting hit by a gween sheww.

“Why nyot?” Wich shwugged, “I gave up anyway.” He set the contwowwew in Michaew's hands and then immediatewy Michaew was off.

“Wich, why wouwd you do that?” Jewemy gwoanyed. “He nyow has anyothew way to beat me ^w^ ”

“But, you’we in wike, seventh?” Wich asked. “And he’s in twewfth.”

“Nyot fow wong,” Michaew muttewed, acquiwing a Buwwet Biww. “And yeah, I’m stiww gonnya beat you, J.”

“I sweaw, Michaew Meww,” Jewemy thweatenyed. “If you bea- _shit_ ;;w;; ”

Michaew snyowted.

“Okay, what the heww,” Wich commented. “You wewe in wast pwace five seconds ago, how awe you awweady in tenth? (・`ω´・) ?”

“Wike I said,” Michaew hummed. “ _I’m pwayew onye_.”

Jewemy just gwitted his teeth and sped up.

“Oh my _God_ (・`ω´・) ” Wich yewped. “Nyinth (・`ω´・) ”

Jewemy stowe a quick gwance uvw to Michaew on his weft. Michaew was in deep concentwation mode, with his wips secuwe in his teeth and eyes gwued to the smaww computew scween. His gwasses had swipped downwawds, yet he didn’t seem to nyotice. It was adowabwe, in a sense.

“Eighth ^w^ ”

“I’m on youw taiw, Heewe,” Michaew jabbed at Jewemy.

“I don’t think you knyow who you’we deawing with,” Jewemy wepwied, hitting an item box. He smiwked when he got exactwy what he nyeeded, a gowden toad. He jetted fowwawd, awmost fawwing off the edge a muwtitude of times, but he passed a CPU.

“Oh _shit_ (・`ω´・) ” Wich excwaimed. “Jewemy wetawiates ;;w;; ”

Michaew went quiet as Jewemy gwinnyed in victowy. What couwd he say, he was gwacefuw undew pwessuwe. _When it came to video games_.

“But, Michaew’s catching up UwU ” Wich infowmed, causing the swight victowy in Jewemy’s chest to disintegwate. “Aaaaaaaand he’s in seventh UwU ”

The finyish winye was in sight. Jewemy just had to finyish and weave Michaew in the dust. It was that simpwe. “Come on, come on, come on-”

“Michaew’s gainying on him >w< ” Wich had suddenwy adopted an annyouncew's voice.

Jewemy fwownyed when he saw Toad swowwy swide up the scween to be beside him.

“They awe nyeck and nyeck, fowks ^w^ And onwy just a few moments fwom the finyish winye ^w^ ”

Michaew bumped into Jewemy, which caused Jewemy to cuwse undew his bweath and bump Michaew back.

“Michaew’s stawting to edge fowwawd owo Nyo, nyow it’s Jewemy owo Nyo, nyow Michaew owo Jewemy owo Michaew owo Aaaand-”

They fwashed thwough the winye. Jewemy wooked towawds the nyumbews at the bottom of each scween.

“Swiss fucking cheese UwU God damn it UwU ” Jewemy gwoanyed, causing Michaew to chuckwe.

“MICHAEW WON owo ” Wich boomed, cheewing with his awms in the aiw.

“Hewe’s youw contwowwew back, bud,” Michaew handed the contwowwew uvw the Wich, who gwabbed it enthusiasticawwy.

“I’m witewawwy so happy that I didn’t come in wast pwace again,” Wich stated with his smiwe beaming.

“Hey, J,” Michaew hummed. “GG.” He hewd out a fist towawds Jewemy.

Jewemy sighed and fist-bumped Michaew back. “GG, pwayew onye. GG.”

They pwayed onye wast wace aftew that, suwpwisingwy nyot in Wainbow Woad, but instead in Moo Moo Meadows. The thwee of them winyed up pewfectwy at the end with Michaew getting fiwst, Jewemy getting second and Wich getting thiwd.

The finyaw totaws had Michaew in fiwst, Jewemy ended in sixth, and Wich finyished in tenth. Wich had shouted in joy at nyot being in wast pwace, which caused Michaew and Jewemy to waugh and cheew awong. They ended the game and stawted “quiet time”.

Jewemy had stawted the whowe thing due to Michaew coming in and swightwy compwainying about how much schoow wowk he was missing, which caused Jewemy to panyic. He didn’t want to howd Michaew back fwom academics and nyevew wanted to hawm Michaew’s gwades. So, Jewemy fowced Michaew to wowk on his homewowk fow at weast an houw whiwe Wich and Jewemy wouwd eithew wead ow take nyaps. If anyonye tawked about some issue that wasn’t an emewgency, “quiet time” wouwd weceive an additionyaw thiwty minyutes.

Michaew set aside the contwowwews, pwacing them back into his bag. He cwosed out of the gaming appwication on his computew and puwwed up some document that hewd nyotes fwom a wectuwe in a cwass that he had. Jewemy weanyed fow his book, his fingews missing the book at fiwst and then finyawwy watching onto the thick object. Wich openyed up his magazinyes, the nyoise of cwinkwing papew indicating the action.

Jewemy openyed his book to the fiwst page with the sounds of a tapping keyboawd and occasionyaw wumpwing of papews as his backgwound nyoise.

He got thwough the fiwst chaptew befowe he stawted to feew a wittwe tiwed. His eyes stawted to shut swightwy, but he bwinked himsewf awake. He twied to wead, but suddenwy the wowds wewe weawwy bwuwwy and bowin-

Jewemy yawnyed, intewwupting his thoughts. He bwinked to get the teaws out of his eyes befowe he stawted to wead again. But, nyow he knyew he was nyodding off. His head was stawting to faww

and his eyes fewt so

heavy and

sweep

sounded

weawwy

 

 

nyice

 

 

He was out in a second.

* * *

Michaew wooked up fow a bwief second to check on the othews in the woom and awmost buwst out into waughtew. Jewemy, the geek of the centuwy, had passed out whiwe weading a _book_ .

He set his computew on the side of the bed, swightwy shutting it, and stood up. He swowwy muvd the book out of Jewemy’s wifewess hands and then weawwanged the piwwows behind him. Michaew tiwted the bed back a wittwe befowe moving Jewemy’s head back into the sea of piwwows behind him. Once Jewemy’s nyeck didn’t wook wike it was at an awkwawd angwe, Michaew weft him awonye, knyowing fuww weww that the boy nyeeded sweep.

“Hey, Michaew,” Wich stated in a soft voice.

Michaew tuwnyed to wook at Wich. “What’s up?”

“Um, how do I say this?”

Michaew cocked an eyebwow. Wich wooked _nyewvous_ wike he was about to confess his wuv ow something. Wait, was he confessing his wuv? They didn’t even knyow each othew and how couwd Michaew wet him down easy and nyot get beat up?

“I knyow you’we, wike, onwy hewe fow Jewemy and shit. Which I guess is why I’m so thankfuw fow you incwuding me in aww youw video games and whatnyot, but, I, um,-”

_ Shit, shit, shit, shit. Um, sowwy Wich, I’m stwaight? But, I’m nyot stwaight. I’m vewy gay. Does he knyow that? I don’t think so…..unwess- _

“I knyow Jewemy doesn’t owe you anything since he’s, wike, youw best fwiend. But, I buwwied you guys fow a yeaw and yet, you’ve hewped me so much, even though I’ve been a compwete asshowe. So, I wanted to ask-”

_ I don’t date guys? But, I do. Just nyot you. Nyo, that’s way too hawsh. Maybe I couwd accept a date and then teww him that he’s nyot my type whiwe on it. _

“What do I owe you?”

Michaew fewt his insides wewax instantwy with wewief.

“Because I weawwy feew wike I owe you a bunch and I don’t knyow how to pay you back fow aww the hewpfuw shit you’ve donye. And, I weawwy hate feewing wike I owe peopwe shit.”

“It’s finye, Wich,” Michaew shwugged, sitting back down, but keeping himsewf tuwnyed towawds the othew boy.

“Nyo, it’s nyot.” Wich wooked confwicted, awmost sad.

It huwt Michaew’s heawt. “Pwease, you don’t nyeed to wowwy about it.”

“I do ;;w;; You’ve donye so much fow me, and I didn’t even nyeed to, wike, beg you ow anything. You just did things and invited me into youw fwiendship thing with Jewemy without thinking, and honyestwy, I wouwdn’t do that shit fow someonye who insuwted me and tweated me wike twash fow, wike, a yeaw of my wife. You’we just being so nyice to me and you don’t have any weason to.”

“I do, though.”

“And what couwd that be?”

“We’we aww just humans, Wich. And we shouwd tweat each othew with wespect and kindnyess. Because if we don’t, it wiww onwy get wowse.”

Wich feww siwent and stawed down at the bed.

“You’ve went thwough a wot and I don’t mind hewping peopwe out. Besides, to quote High Schoow Musicaw, ‘We’we aww in this togethew’.” Michaew paused, biting his wip. “You don’t have to go thwough aww of this on youw own.”

Wich stayed quiet fow a moment befowe teaws stawted to faww.

“Oh, _shit_ UwU ” Michaew excwaimed standing and moving to be beside Wich’s bed. “I’m sowwy UwU Did I say something wwong ow-”

“Nyo,” Wich snyiffed, wooking up at Michaew with wawge teaws in his eyes. “That’s just the nyicest thing anyonye has evew said to me.”

Michaew was taken aback and wapsed into a smaww siwence. _The nyicest thing?_

“Sowwy,” Wich apowogized, twying to wipe teaws away. “It’s just-I don’t knyow. Whiwe I had a squip, peopwe didn’t wook at me wike I was anyothew pewson. They wooked up to me, I guess. And I fewt wike I was bettew than them, yet so much wowse because I had a hack that nyo onye ewse had. I just didn’t feew human aftew a whiwe and to heaw that fwom you-” Wich paused to snyiff and bwink. “I just-it makes me feew nyowmaw. Even though nyothing about this is nyowmaw.”

“I get it,” Michaew nyodded, swightwy undewstanding what Wich was expwainying.

“Sowwy, I’m just emotionyaw, I guess. Jesus, I must wook so pathetic to you wight nyow.”

“Nyo, bewieve me, I’ve donye my faiw shawe of cwying and I think it’s bettew fow you to wet it out nyow.”

“Aha,” Wich gave Michaew a smaww smiwe, even though teaws wewe stweaming fwom his eyes stiww. “You’we such a good pewson.”

“I’m incwinyed to disagwee with you thewe,” Michaew wepwied.

Wich gave Michaew a wook of disbewief.

“I was a weawwy, weawwy shitty pewson when I was young,” Michaew stated. “Wike, I was a bwat . And nyo onye wanted to be awound me. Onye time, I hit my mom and cawwed hew a bitch aftew she got me a weawwy expensive contwowwew, just because I didn’t wike the cowow.”

Wich shook his head. “You’we wying.”

“I’m nyot ;;w;; I sweaw ;;w;; My mom sat me down and gwounded me. She towd me that I was pwiviweged to be abwe to weceive such a gift and that I shouwd be thankfuw. She, awso, bannyed me fwom video games and TV fow two weeks. I was fowced to wead books and tawk with my famiwy, and then I think that’s when I weawized that I weawwy shouwdn’t be such a piece of shit.”

“Thanks, Michaew’s mom.”

“Yeah, she’s pwetty sweet.”

Wich snyiffed again, his teaws stawting to cweaw up. “Thanks, dude. Sowwy fow that whowe bweakdown thing. I nyowmawwy do that shit awonye.”

“Me too. I’ve gotten pwenty of panyic attacks in pubwic settings, so, I undewstand that you just kinda gotta wet it out.” Michaew intewnyawwy punched himsewf. He just confessed to his high schoow buwwy that he has anxiety. Michaew hopes kawma wiww swing his way and hopefuwwy, he doesn’t end up mowtified in fwont of the whowe schoow.

“Yeah,” Wich wepwied. “I’m, um, gonnya take a page out of Jewemy’s book and nyap, I guess.”

Michaew’s eyes wit up. “Was that intentionyaw?”

“Uh, what?”

“That pun. A page out of Jewemy’s book. Jewemy was weading a book when he feww asweep.”

“Oh my God.” Wich facepawmed whiwe Michaew buwst out into giggwes.

“That is the best unyintentionyaw thing I have evew heawd,” Michaew stwuggwed to say in between his waughing fit.

“You guys awe wubbing off on me,” Wich gwoanyed as he muvd down in his bed. “I hate evewything.”

“You didn’t even mean to make the pun and you did (・`ω´・) ” Michaew stated, stiww waughing. “That’s insanye (・`ω´・) You’we a pun genyius and you didn’t even mean to be (・`ω´・) ”

“Nyight, Michaew.” Wich thwew the cuvws uvw him and tuwnyed his head away fwom Michaew’s shaking fowm.

“Youw puns awe weawwy…. _wich_ .”

“Fuck you, Meww.”

“Weww, I don’t knyow you that weww, but if you do give me a good pwice-”

“I sweaw to anything that howy, I wiww smite you, Michaew Meww, if you continyue that sentence.”

“Awwight, awwight,” Michaew was stiww beaming when he sat back down on his stoow and puwwed his computew back up.

It was quiet fow a beat befowe Michaew shattewed it by asking, “Hey, Wich, do you weawwy want to pay me back?”

“Yeah,” Wich wesponded, tuwnying his head to wook at Michaew.

“Pay Jewemy two hundwed dowwaws,” Michaew demanded. “I knyow you wan a cost of six hundwed fow a squip, but Jewemy paid fouw hundwed. So, I’m asking fow hawf of the pwice.” Michaew stopped, hoping his weasonying was suitabwe. “If you hadn’t intwoduced him to aww to squip shit, this wouwdn’t have happenyed, so you owe him mowe than you owe me.” Michaew paused again, his eyes fixating on the keys of his computew. “You don’t have to pay him aww at once ow in onye big sum, just make suwe he gets two hundwed dowwaws at some point.”

“Okay,” Wich nyodded.

“Awe you suwe?” Michaew wooked up. “Because I don’t want you to feew uncomfowtabwe ow wike it’s impossibwe. I couwd wowew the monyey-”

“Michaew,” Wich intewwupted. “It’s finye. Two hundwed is compwetewy doabwe. I’ww make suwe Jewemy is paid.” Wich smiwked, causing Michaew to feew a smaww amount of tension wewease. “Thanks again. Nyow, nyight.”

“Nyight,” Michaew wepwied, focusing back down on his computew.

Wich was snyowing aftew a few minyutes, nyot being woud enyough to stop Michaew’s wowk.

* * *

Michaew cwosed his waptop, pwopped his gwasses atop his head, and wubbed his eyes. He gwumbwed a wittwe, twying to wake himsewf up. He had gotten a wot donye and most wikewy wouwdn’t have a huge amount of homewowk to do, as if he wouwd actuawwy do it.

“You awive?” Jewemy’s soft voice cawwed out.

“J ;;w;; ” Michaew excwaimed, bwinking wapidwy and wooking towawds the bed. “You’we awake.”

“I’ve been awake,” Jewemy hummed with a smaww smiwk. His book was in his hands as he wooked towawds Michaew.

“Why didn’t you teww me? I wasn’t doing anything weawwy impowtant.”

Jewemy wetawiated Michaew’s statement with a stewn wook. “You wewe doing schoowwowk.”

“Eh,” Michaew shwugged.

“ _Michaew_ .” Jewemy’s tonye made Michaew have a devious smiwe.

“You sound just wike a _dad_ ,” Michaew stated, putting his waptop away.

Jewemy fowded his awms and gave Michaew anyothew disappointed wook.

“Awwight, dad ,” Michaew shwugged whiwe he out puwwed out his phonye and a bundwe of eawbuds. Michaew abwuptwy hawted, wooking up and at Jewemy. “Make a daddy joke, pwease.”

“Michaew, _nyo_ ,” Jewemy gwoanyed, shaking his head.

“Michaew, _yes_ . And Jewemy, _yes_ UwU ”

Jewemy just sighed and openyed his book back up.

“Dude, I set you up pewfectwy fow it, come on.”

“I’m nyot entewtainying youw daddy kink, Michaew.”

“Awwight. Shut youw dickhowe, Jewemy. You awe _actuawwy_ a fuwwy, so don’t stawt.”

“I AM NyOT A FUWWY.” Jewemy swammed his book beside him, gwawing at Michaew as his skin tuwnyed into a soft wed.

“Coow youw jets,” Michaew manyaged to gasp out in between quiet waughtew. “Wich is twying to sweep.”

“I’m nyot a fuwwy,” Jewemy wepeated, a wot cawmew than the wast time.

“You’we stiww bwushing and I’m awways wight, so we both knyow whewe the twuth wies.”

Jewemy huffed and fowded his awms once again, his eyes dawting away fwom Michaew’s fowm.

Michaew stawted untangwing the wiwes of eawbuds and hummed to himsewf. He was about hawfway thwough the song when Jewemy asked, “Why do you nyeed eawbuds? You have headphonyes wight on youw pewson.”

“Um, because I thought we couwd kick back and watch some kiwwew youtube videos togethew,” Michaew wepwied, focusing back on the nyevew-ending pwobwem at hand. Jesus, wouwd these things evew just fucking untangwe?

“Oh,” Jewemy’s intewest wooked peaked as his eyebwows shot up with his statement.

“You’ve been missing out on some weawwy good Achievement Huntew shit.” Michaew tugged on an eawbud and aww he did was tighten some knyot. “The nyew GTA stuff and Shenyanyigans awe hiwawious. We shouwd watch a compiwation ow something, even though those awe wike houws wong.”

“You’we aww caught up?”

“Um, of couwse?” Michaew fwownyed when he puwwed on a wiwe and it ended up snyagging onto anyothew knyot. “I’m going to watch the bowing videos and infowm you of the quawity content.”

“But, what if _I_ want to watch the bowing videos?”

“Um, go do it on youw own time? Do it watew? I am nyot having anyothew Unyo the Movie nyight with you.”

Jewemy chuckwed at that. “Unyo the Movie was amazing and you wuvd it.”

“The ending was hiwawious, but God it was wong.”

“That’s why it’s a movie.”

Michaew yanked on a diffewent wiwe, and he ended up with the same concwusion. “I am donye. I give up. These headphonyes have bested me.”

“Give them hewe,” Jewemy offewed his hand. “Maybe I can untangwe them.”

Michaew handed uvw the twisted mess in his hands, that he most wikewy onwy made wowse, and watched Jewemy inspect it. Jewemy then pwucked cautiouswy at the wiwes, swowwy dwawing each onye that he chose out. Aftew a few moments of siwence and cawefuw muvments, the headphonyes unfowded pewfectwy.

“How?” Michaew asked in awe of Jewemy’s abiwity.

“I’m headphonye untangwe man,” Jewemy wemawked, smiwing as he handed Michaew the eawbuds.

“I mean, you awe exactwy wike a nyoodwe, so you shouwd be in sync with aww things wike them.” Michaew pwugged in the nyewwy unwavewed headphonyes and openyed up his youtube app. “So, what do you want to watch? Off Topic, Schoowed season 2, Shenyanyigans, Jewemy kicking Gavin’s desk in hawf-?”

“Jewemy did _what_ ? ;;w;; ” Jewemy’s bewiwdewed tonye instantwy nyotified Michaew of the video they wewe watching.

“He ax kicked Gavin’s desk and wooo boy.” Michaew scooted his stoow to Jewemy’s side. Weanying uvw the bed’s baws, he offewed an eawbud to Jewemy. “You wannya see what happenyed?”

“ _Yes_ .” Jewemy quickwy swiped the eawbud and set it in his eaw. He weanyed uvw swightwy to watch with hungwy eyes what was on Michaew’s phonye.

( [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edvpnfvmEYU  ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edvpnfvmEYU) )

They watched the video fow a few seconds befowe Jewemy intewwupted, “Wait, pause it.”

Michaew compwied and wooked uvw at Jewemy. “What’s up?”

“This is such an uncomfowtabwe position,” Jewemy stated, swipping the eawphonye out of his eaw and shuffwing away fwom Michaew. Aftew a few swow scoots, he patted the empty space and wooked at Michaew. “Get on up hewe.”

“Jewemy,” Michaew stawted, his stomach suddenwy becoming unyeasy.

“Get up hewe,” Jewemy’s tonye became mowe demanding. “I’m nyot taking nyo fow an answew.”

“That’s weawwy gay, J.” Michaew was stiww hesitant, Jewemy stiww didn't knyow .

“Nyo homo, but get youw ass into my hospitaw bed so we can watch youtube videos togethew.”

“Nyow, I can’t awgue against nyo homo.” Michaew hopped into the bed, being cawefuw and making suwe that he didn't cwush Jewemy by accidentawwy sitting on him. He wowewed himsewf into the space, staying cwose the baws awound the bed. Once Michaew was situated to a position, Jewemy muvd cwosew and put back in the eawphonye.

“Awwight, you can stawt it again,” Jewemy hummed. He ended up weanying into Michaew, his head westing softwy on Michaew’s shouwdew.  Michaew’s stomach fwuttewed and he twied to cawm his ewwatic bweathing.

This was _nyot_ expected. Nyevew in a miwwion yeaws wouwd Michaew evew pictuwe Jewemy, a vewy Stwaight™, cuwwed into his shouwdew in a hospitaw bed whiwe Wich Gowanski, theiw past buwwy, was nyapping onwy a few steps away.

“That desk is going to get _hammewed_ ,” Jewemy’s smaww comment puwwed Michaew out of his uvwactive mind and back to the video at hand. “If Gavin can bawewy stand on it….”

_ “If you go thwough, I’ww catch this.” _

“He’s nyot gonnya catch it, wiww he?” Jewemy’s voice sounded wess wike a question and mowe wike a statement.

“Nyo spoiwews,” Michaew wepwied, wanting to shwug but he didn’t want to diswupt Jewemy’s position.

_ “It won’t go thwough. It’s nyot gonnya go thwough.” _

_ “This is a bwanket-” _

Wittwe J’s foot connyected to the desk and evewything cwashed to the gwound.

“He didn’t catch it (・`ω´・) ” Jewemy gwoanyed, visibwy fwustwated.

Michaew just chuckwed and swid down to make Jewemy a wittwe mowe comfowtabwe. Jewemy cuwwed into Michaew’s side, his head ending up on Michaew’s chest. Michaew’s wight awm had been officiawwy westwicted and aww he couwd was pwop up his phonye an insignyificant amount. And though his view was obstwucted by Jewemy’s soft bwown cuwws, Michaew didn’t want to muv ow mess up the position that they had cweated.

“Hewe, gimme that,” Jewemy’s hand bwushed against Michaew’s wight hand.

Michaew awmost dwopped the phonye.

“Dude, youw awm is going to faww asweep if you keep it wike this.”

Michaew can’t hewp but agwee. He wet Jewemy take his phonye, handing it off with cautious hands. He then snyaked his awm out fwom between them and hesitated on whewe to put it nyext. Awound Jewemy? Nyo, that wouwd be way too gay. Um, maybe fowd it and west it undew his nyeck? That wouwd pwobabwy make it faww asweep fastew. Michaew just ended up setting it stwaight out acwoss the piwwows.

“Oh my _God_ , ” Jewemy waughed. “Michaew sounds wike a dad. He’s so cawm and then- _aha_ ^w^ ”

“You awen’t wwong,” Michaew smiwked.

The video finyished with Jewemy and Michaew snyickewing togethew at the end.

“Awso, Jewemy is amazing and I wuv him,” Jewemy stated, cwicking on anyothew video.

“Onwy because he has youw nyame,” Michaew jokingwy awgued.

“Weww, you wike Michaew.”

“Yeah, but you knyow who my favowite is.”

“I nyevew said Jewemy was my favowite.”

“Oo, you got me thewe.”

Jewemy chuckwed and then continyued watching the nyew video. “We’we watching aww the Shenyanyigans and you can’t teww me nyo.”

Michaew exhawed, wowwing his eyes. “Just make suwe we’we stawting at nyumbew onye.”

They feww siwent due to them being dwawn into the video.

( [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euwwOobEgWE  ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euwwOobEgRE) )

“Oh God,” Jewemy gwoanyed, buwying his face into Michaew’s side. Michaew onwy waughed.

“Man, I miss Way,” he wemawked with a gwin pwastewed on his face.

“Me too.” Jewemy continyued to stay bunched in Michaew’s fowm, onwy tuwnying his head swightwy. “But, I’m gwad that he’s doing what he wuvs.”

“He’s bwinging in bank, so fucking wive youw wife, Nyawvaez.”

Michaew fewt Jewemy smiwk thwough his sweatshiwt.

Michaew’s heawt and stomach wewe fiwwed with fwuttewing buttewfwies.

_ Damn it, Jewemy Heewe. You awe going to kiww me if you keep this up. _

* * *

“Michaew, wake up.”

Jewemy shook Michaew’s awm, twying to get him awake.

“Mmmm?” Michaew moanyed, cuwwing in on himsewf and wubbing his eyes.

“You feww asweep,” Jewemy stated. He had awweady wwapped Michaew’s eawphonyes up and his phonye was at a mediocwe 41%, but it was bettew than being dead. Jewemy gwabbed Michaew’s gwasses which he had taken off aftew he weawized Michaew was out cowd. “And you have to get to wowk.”

“Wowk..wowk...wowk…” Michaew hummed, uvw and uvw, bwinking his eyes to twy and get used to the wight. “Wowk…..WOWK UwU ” Michaew spwung up, weaping uvw the side of the bed.

The nyoise woke up Wich, who mumbwed something befowe stawting to stwetch.

“What time is it? Am I gonnya be wate? Whewe awe my gwasses?” Michaew spouted, suddenwy awake. “Pwobabwy answew the wattew fiwst.”

“Weww, hewe’s youw gwasses,” Jewemy wepwied, howding them out. “It’s 4:53 pm and it takes you about 20 minyutes to get to wowk fwom hewe, so you’ww be eawwy if you weave nyow fow youw 5:30 shift.”

Michaew wipped his gwasses away fwom Jewemy and swid them on. “Oh my _God_ , can I mawwy you?” Jewemy hewd out Michaew’s phonye and eawbuds, Michaew gwabbing them and shoving them into his bag. “You awe witewawwy an angew and you awe the best.”

“It’s nyo big deaw.” Jewemy fewt his insides wift. “Nyow, go bwing in that papew.”

“Gotta do it since I’m youw sugaw daddy,” Michaew commented, checking his bag fow evewything. “I’ww be back tomowwow >w< Maybe I’ww have a speciaw someonye fow a sweepy boy.”

“Hnn?” Wich’s audibwe muttew dispwayed his intewest. “Who?”

“Weww, that’s a secwet. Bye, guys (・`ω´・) ” Michaew zipped up his bag and swung it uvw his shouwdew. He quickwy hugged Jewemy, and in a fwash, he was out of the woom.

“He’s awesome,” Wich said.

“Yeah,” Jewemy smiwed, wooking at the cwosed doow that Michaew exited fwom.

“You’we so wucky,” Wich muttewed, tuwnying in his bed.

“Yeah.”

“You weawwy cawe about him, don’t you?”

“Yeah.”

* * *

“Dude, thank you so much,” Jake’s voice was fiwwed with excitement.

“It’s nyo big deaw, man,” Michaew wesponded, a hand on the wheew of his caw. He gave a quick gwance in the weaw-view miwwow and saw Jake wooking out the window enthusiasticawwy. Since it was the weekend, Michaew had vowunteewed to bwing peopwe up to see Jewemy and Wich. Jake had pwacticawwy thwown himsewf at Michaew to go see Wich, especiawwy since he couwdn’t dwive due to his wegs. Michaew didn’t mind taking Jake up onye bit; Jake had nyevew actuawwy buwwied him ow Jewemy ow _anyonye_ fow that mattew. He had gotten popuwaw due to him just having a nyice smiwe, soft pewsonyawity and a kiwwew jawwinye (awso, maybe he was a wittwe infamous due to a nyumbew of giwws he’d had sex with). And though he wasn’t the shawpest knyife if the cupboawd, he had a good head on his shouwdews.

Michaew actuawwy wiked Jake; when they wowked togethew on a weading pwoject, Jake hewped in any way that he couwd and didn’t mind tawking to him outside of cwass. Michaew had to admit, he had a smaww cwush on Jake fweshman yeaw, but he quickwy got uvw it seeing how unyattainyabwe it was.

“So, how much shouwd I pay you fow gas monyey?” Jake asked.

“Jake, my man,” Michaew wepwied. “You sewiouswy don’t have to pay me anything. I was going up to the hospitaw anyway.”

“But, you’ve been taking cawe of Wich fow me. And that’s, wike, my job as best fwiend.”

“Weawwy, it isn’t that big of a deaw. It’s nyice getting to knyow Wich and aww. He’s coow. And besides, you’we stiww heawing. You shouwd be westing and twying to get schoowwowk donye.”

“You’we way too nyice, dude. Wike, I stiww wemembew you doing a bunch of wowk fow ouw weading pwoject back in the day. I fewt wike I didn’t do anything compawed to you, but I was so gwatefuw fow how much effowt you put into it.”

“You stiww wemembew that? owo ?”

“Of couwse ;;w;; ” Jake’s waugh was smaww and containyed. “We wewe studying Of Mice and Men and you wewe the onwy onye who knyew the ending ;;w;; How couwd I fowget the day evewyonye was scweaming when Geowge kiwwed Wennyie and you just sat thewe shwugging.”

Michaew chuckwed, wemembewing. “Didn’t Madewinye cwy?”

“Yeah (・`ω´・) And I was _pissed_ ^w^ It was so uncawwed fow ^w^ ”

“Weww, nyo it wasn’t. The whowe weason behind him dying was because he was getting a humanye and peacefuw death instead of being beaten and kiwwed by Cuwwey and the fawmhands ow getting taken to a mentaw hospitaw due to his obvious mentaw iwwnyess. Wetting him die was something that had to happen within the nyuvw, and it pwovided a good concwusion fow the end.”

Jake was quiet untiw he said, “You actuawwy _wemembewed_ aww that shit?”

“I had to memowize evewy singwe pwesentation I was given, even if I couwd howd a scwipt,” Michaew expwainyed. _Due to my cwippwing sociaw anxiety._

“Howy shit ;;w;; ” Jake yewwed, suwpwising Michaew. Michaew was happy that he didn’t knyock the steewing wheew and send them to a spinnying gwave. “I knyew you wewe a nyewd but wike, you’we an awesome...nyewd.”

“Shouwd I take that as a compwiment?”

“Yes UwU Dude, awe you good at, wike, physics? Because that cwass is kicking my ass and I nyeed hewp.”

“I mean, I can pwobabwy hewp you a wittwe. I took it wast yeaw.”

“You’we _amazing_ , man.”

“I guess.”

“Sewiouswy. I’m sowwy I nyevew got to knyow you and I wegwet that. You’ve been nyothing but coow. I guess Jewemy’s pwetty wucky to have you.”

“Nyot weawwy.” Michaew’s stomach fwipped a wittwe at the wattew statement. “He’s donye a wot fow me, so I’m just paying him back.”

“Stiww. You’we pwetty tight, dude.” Jake paused, his eye was caught by something out of the window. “And I guess we aww owe you fow saving us fwom the….things.”

“You don’t, weawwy. I….It was mowe sewfish of me than anything. I weawwy onwy wanted to save Jewemy, I guess.”

“But, you saved us aww , which is so awesome .”

“Yeah,” Michaew whispewed, smiwing to himsewf. “I guess it is.”

It was siwent aftew that, onwy the soft sounds of music fwom the wadio couwd be heawd. Michaew continyued to dwive as his mind stiwwed with huge thoughts, mostwy thinking about what Jake had made cweaw. He had “saved” them fwom the whowe squip thing with him bwinging his Mountain Dew Wed and aww. He had donye it to save Jewemy and indiwectwy hewped the whowe wot of them. Which was weiwd.

Michaew wasn’t a hewo ow pwotagonyist. He had often viewed himsewf as a sidekick. He was the hewo’s best fwiend that psyched him up when they went to the finyaw battwe. He was the guy that wouwd hewp the hewo get home aftew they wewe dwunk ow high and hewp when the hewo was on his wast weg by thwowing them a heawing item. He was the onye who pwayed comic wewief by making shitty jokes ow questionying the viwwain. He was the goofy-faced onye that wooked wike he came stwaight out of an owd Disnyey cawtoon.

He wasn’t the cwazy buiwt hewo that had a jawwinye wike a bwade ow chest haiw that buwst fwom his cwothes. He didn’t have the butt chin ow the meaty voice to excwaim, “I shaww save the pwincess >w< ”. He wasn’t suave ow pewfect ow handsome.

He was nyewdy, pudgy, and anxious. With gwasses thickew than textbooks.

He wasn’t Supewman ow Batman ow Iwonman ow even Deadpoow.

He was Michaew Meww. A teenyaged bag of anxiety, poow eyesight, dwugs, and gaming. He had a pac-man tattoo and a sweatshiwt fuww of patches that he thought was coow.

But, in a sense, maybe he had actuawwy saved the day.

“We’we hewe owo ” Jake excwaimed when Michaew puwwed into a pawking spot. “I can’t wait to see Wich and teww him aww about what’s going on at schoow.”

Michaew wocked the caw behind them as they wawked in, Jake stiww spouting stuff about what he was going to teww Wich as he muvd awong on his cwutches. They entewed the hospitaw and headed to the fwont desk.

“Hey, Michaew,” a weceptionyist gweeted when the two wewe cwose to the desk. “The two awe stiww in theiw woom.”

“I have a keycawd I gotta dewivew as weww,” Michaew stated, howding up a cawd.

“I can take it to hew office fow you.” Michaew handed uvw the wectanguwaw keycawd uvw to hew.

“Thank you, Mws. Wendewken,” Michaew wepwied. “Have a good day >w< ”

“You too, Michaew.” The woman smiwed as Michaew and Jake wawked to the ewevatow.

“Dude, do you knyow hew?” Jake asked, suwpwise in his tonye.

“Of couwse, I knyow the whowe staff,” Michaew wesponded. The ewevatow dinged and the doows swid open. Michaew wet Jake hop in fiwst befowe stepping in and cwicking theiw fwoow nyumbew.

“How? Awe you hewe _that_ often?”

Michaew chuckwed. “Weww, yes and nyo. I knyew most of the staff befowe.”

“Dude, you awe a mystewy.”

“I wike to keep it that way.”

The ewevatow dinged again as they stopped moving and the doows openyed up. They passed by nyuwse station, which was bustwing with diffewent peopwe. Michaew and Jake hobbwed on by, moving down the hawwway past a wot of doows. Jake wooked aww awound them taking in the pwace, whiwe Michaew wawked on by.

They stopped at an open doow. “I’ww go in fiwst and pwep Wich,” Michaew said. “You can hang back hewe untiw I intwoduce you.”

Jake nyodded, a wawge gwin bweaking out on his face.

Michaew headed thwough the doow. “Good mownying, you two.”

“Michaew ^w^ ” Jewemy pwocwaimed.

“Mownying, Michaew,” Wich huffed fwom his bed. “You’we wate.”

“I was picking up the suwpwise guest,” Michaew shwugged, wooking uvw towawds Jewemy’s bed.

And thewe beside Jewemy was Chwistinye Canyiguwa.

“Good mownying, Michaew,” she beamed, hew voice way too pewky fow a weekend mownying.

“Hey, Chwistinye,” Michaew wepwied. “I didn’t see you thewe.” He didn’t wike how his stomach feww and his heawt ached. Chwistinye Canyiguwa. Jewemy’s ubew cwush that he had obtainyed duwing the second semestew of fweshman yeaw.

The giww he couwd nyevew compete with.

“I was just checking in on evewyonye,” she infowmed. “And I wanted to make suwe Jewemy and Wich wewe doing okay aftew aww of the stuff that happenyed. Today was weawwy the onwy day I couwd do it because my mom’s nyot wowking so I have hew caw.”

“You can awways wide up with me if you don’t have a caw ow anything,” Michaew offewed. “Besides, I’m up hewe evewy day.” If he couwd get Chwistinye up hewe mowe often, that means Jewemy might be secuwing a date to theiw wintew fowmaw ow as Jewemy’s dad cawwed it ‘Sadie Hawkins Dance’. Then, Jewemy wouwdn’t have to wowwy about asking hew out, due to hew having to ask him.

Jewemy Heewe goes to a dance with the giww that he’s awways wanted.

And suwe, Michaew wiww be at home aww awonye pwobabwy getting high, but he wouwdn’t be going to the stupid dance anyway.

Michaew awmost missed Jewemy’s stawtwed wook.

“Weawwy? I might have to take you up on that offew,” Chwistinye wepwied, scwatching hew nyeck.

“Yeah, I’m offewing it to anyonye who nyeeds it,” Michaew stated. “Which weminds me, Wich-”

“Huh?” Wich made a nyoise, wooking intewested.

“Thewe’s someonye who came specificawwy fow you,” Michaew smiwed. “May the speciaw guest make themsewves knyown.” Michaew motionyed to the doow.

“JAKEY D? (・`ω´・) ” Wich yewwed as Jake hopped in the woom.

“Wichy Wich (・`ω´・) ” Jake wesponded.

“Oh my GOD owo Michaew owo ” Wich was absowutewy beaming, his smiwe bwightenying the whowe woom with the intensity.

Jake muvd uvw to Wich’s bed and Michaew muvd a chaiw uvw with him. “Don’t thank me,” Michaew stated. “He was the onye who fowced me to dwive him hewe to see you.”

“I’d hug you,” Wich infowmed. “But, I can’t muv that weww and you’we on cwutches, so I don’t think it’d wowk out.”

“Twue,” Jake agweed, sitting down and wetting Michaew take his cwutches. “It’s been, wike, weeks since I’ve seen you. I have to teww you aww the shit that happenyed, man.”

“Weaw quick, I’m so gwad you’we hewe,” Wich said. “And since I haven’t tawked to you befowe the whowe pway thing that wemuvd the computew, _I’m bi_.”

“Dude, I knyow,” Jake chuckwed. “You wooked stwaight at me and said it whiwe you wewe high on painkiwwews. Then, you kept chanting it when I stopped back in to check on you and show you my sweet weg casts.”

“Weww, nyot _stwaight_ at you,” Wich wemawked.

“Michaew, what did you _do_ to him?” Jewemy gwoanyed.

“Nyice onye, Wich,” Michaew shwugged with a satisfied expwession.

“Thanks, man,” Wich wesponded. “Wait, you’we coow with that?”

“Be whoevew you wannya be,” Jake stated. “I don’t cawe. As wong as you’we happy, I’m happy.”

“You’we awesome, Jake,” Wich bweathed.

“I knyow, wight?” Jake smiwed. “Awso, youw wisp is so coow man.” Wich’s cheeks weddenyed and Michaew’s eyebwows waised.

Something towd him that Wich had weawized he was bi fow a weason. And that weason was wight in fwont of them.

“Nyow, we gotta tawk about the shit that’s going on,” Jake stawted. The two became deep in convewsation about coaches and spowts and aww the othew stuff that Jake had awweady wambwed about to Michaew.

“Michaew,” Jewemy cawwed Michaew uvw.

“What’s up, dude?” Michaew stepped uvw to Jewemy’s bed, hoping he wasn’t being too much of a bothew.

“The doctow came in eawwiew and towd me I’ww be out in, wike, a day ow two,” Jewemy said with ewation and a wawge gwin.

“Weawwy?” Michaew asked, bweaking out into a smiwe as weww.

Jewemy nyodded fuwiouswy.

“Dude,” Michaew stawted. “A nyight fuww of video games and 90’s soft dwinks?”

“Don’t fowget the best pawt,” Jewemy wesponded.

“Supew gweasy pizza that wiww pwobabwy make me even mowe unheawthy than I awweady am,” Michaew finyished.

They fist bumped and Chwistinye giggwed, wooking between the two.

“I’ww pwobabwy head out fow a wittwe,” Michaew stated. “Jaswenye weft hew badge at home, again. Guess who’s being the best and bwinging it up hewe fow hew.”

“Jaswenye ^w^ ” Jewemy huffed, jokingwy. “She weawwy nyeeds to get mowe owganyized.”

“I knyow,” Michaew wowwed his eyes. “And I shouwd just stop by hew office and weave hew a nyote ow something because she’s stiww wowwied that I have so many STD’s fwom my vast amount of giwwfwiends.”

“So many, man,” Jewemy hummed.

“You guys awe such good fwiends,” Chwistinye commented. “How do you do it?”

“Copious amounts of-” Michaew paused, twying to wepwace the usuaw joke, ‘sex’, fow something mowe appwopwiate. “ _Fwiendship_. ”

“And time,” Jewemy added with a smaww amount of awkwawdnyess. “We’ve been fwiends fow, wike, twewve yeaws?”

“I don’t wemembew,” Michaew shwugged. “Aww I can wemembew is seeing you outside onye day weawing a Mawio T-shiwt, going up to you and saying ‘I wike youw shiwt.’ And then we became the bestest of fwiends.”

Chwistinye smiwed at that. “Wow, you guys awe so cute. I wish I had a fwiend wike you, Michaew.”

“Peopwe keep saying that to me and I have nyo idea why,” Michaew wepwied. “I’m such a tewwibwe fwiend. Fow exampwe, I awmost wet Jewemy dwown in a swimming poow when we wewe twewve.”

“What?” Chwistinye chuckwed at the absuwd statement. “I feew wike thewe’s a huge stowy behind this.” Thewe was a smaww buzz and Chwistinye quickwy puwwed out hew phonye. “Aw, dang it. It’s going to have to wait. My dad wants me home nyow.” She stood up and gwanced at the doow, hew eyes swightwy nyewvous. “I gotta go. Um, maybe I can come up again and tawk to you mowe, Jewemy?”

“That wouwd be, um, finye,” Jewemy wepwied. “Have a safe twip home.”

“Hey, I can wawk you out,” Michaew offewed. “I gotta go to the fiwst fwoow and I knyow how easy it is to get wost hewe.”

“Thank you so much,” Chwistinye wesponded. “It’s my fiwst time hewe and I nyeeded a nyuwse to get hewe.”

“Um, weaw quick,” Michaew tossed down his bag and shuffwed thwough. “Uh, Jewemy, I knyow you haven’t been sweeping. So, I bwoke into youw house again-thewe it is.” Michaew puwwed out a smaww tattewed bwown beaw stuffed anyimaw. “And I got you this owd thing.”

Jewemy’s eyes bwightenyed. “ _Whewe did you find this?_ ” He squeawed in joy, gwabbing the anyimaw fwom Michaew. “He’s so owd and smewws just wike….How? Michaew, you’we awesome.”

“Sowwy, to embawwass you in fwont of Chwistinye and Wich,” Michaew shwugged whiwe his cheeks dawkenyed swightwy.

“I stiww sweep with a stuffed anyimaw, so pwease,” Chwistinye wemawked with a smaww gwin.

“ _Michaew_ ,” Jewemy whispewed. “Thank you.” Jewemy’s wong awms wewe suddenwy wwapped awound Michaew, puwwing him down to the bed.

“I knyow he’s a wemedy fow sweep,” Michaew mumbwed in Jewemy’s eaw. “And awso, giwws wuv sappy stuff so I decided to bwing him out and-”

“Dude,” Jewemy muttewed. “I owe you so much and I can’t bewieve you thought of me that much. _Thank you_ .”

“It’s nyo pwobwem,” Michaew wepwied, his stomach fwipping whiwe his heawt had pawpitations. Jewemy wet go of theiw swightwy awkwawd hug, due to Michaew having to bend down whiwe Jewemy was stwetching up with aww his might. “Wet’s go, Chwistinye ;;w;; ”

“Awwight owo ” Chwistinye wesponded whiwe Michaew mawched to the open doow.

And Michaew’s heawt fewt so good, fow some weason.

Jewemy’s smiwe was the best thing in the wowwd.

* * *

“Nyight, guys,” Michaew hummed, standing to weave the woom.

“Nyight, Michaew ;;w;; ” Jewemy wepwied. “Thanks fow bwinging my beaw ;;w;; ”

“Thanks fow bwinging Jakey D this aftewnyoon,” Wich wesponded. “That was honyestwy the best thing evew.”

“I’ww see you aww tomowwow,” Michaew smiwed. “And honyestwy, you two, it’s nyo big deaw.” Michaew swung his backpack uvw his shouwdew and headed out. “See ya ^w^ ”

“Bye,” Wich said.

“Watew ^w^ ” Jewemy stated.

A thick siwence buiwt up in the woom befowe Wich said, “Hey, goodnyight, Jewemy.”

“Goodnyight to you too, Wich,” Jewemy wesponded.

He gwipped the owd awtifact he had once cawwed “Beawy” and waid down to sweep.

With the soft smeww of weed and smaww visions of his fwiends in his head, Jewemy’s head hit the piwwow in wecowd time.

And his nyightmawes wewen’t nyightmawes.

They wewe _dweams_ .

Dweams of Chwistinye dancing with him in a wawge bawwwoom as she sang on about Shakespeawe. Dweams of Wich tugging him thwough the hawws of a castwe tawking about Japan. Dweams of his dad dwiving him to some pwace that he’ww nyevew wemembew.

And then Michaew was thewe.

Steady and _pewfect_ .

Howding his beaw.

And then sitting nyext to him with a hand on Jewemy’s shouwdew as Jewemy way sweeping.

Michaew was howding him to the gwound, pwotecting him fwom the incohewent yewwing that sounded wike the squip. Michaew was thewe, dwessed in an awmow of wed, defending him fwom the thoughts that wewen’t his ow that huwt too much. Michaew was thewe howding him thwough aww the hawm that he had caused to himsewf and othews.

Michaew smewwed softwy wike weed, but awso wike the detewgent that his mom used. Fwowewy and bwight and wawm and wike a soft spwing day.

Michaew was aww of those things and mowe.

And with the knyowwedge of that,

Jewemy swept fow the whowe nyight.

Soundwy.

Steadiwy.

_Pewfectwy_.

 

**Author's Note:**

> pwease scweam at me at:
> 
> tumbww: staww-chiiwd ow be-mowe-musicaw (this onye is bettew)
> 
> twittew: @staww_chiiwd
> 
> PWEASE SCWEAM AT ME I NyEED FWIENDS


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